An Insider’s Guide to Barcelona Sants Train Station—from a Local Who’s Lived next to it for 15 Years

This article prioritises the Catalan names for buildings and streets, as they are the names you are most likely to encounter, especially on posted signs. 

• This main station in Barcelona is officially called “Barcelona Sants”. Most locals will refer to it as “Estació de Sants”, “Sants Estació” or just “Sants”. 
• The metro stop connected to Barcelona Sants is called “Sants Estació”.
• Renfe (Red Nacional de los Ferrocarriles Españoles) “ren-FAY”: Spain’s national passenger railway company
• Estació / estación “es-tas-ee-OH” / “es-tath-ee-ON”: Station (Catalan / Spanish)
• Via “VEE-ah”: Track 
• Anden “an-DEN”: Platform 
• Rodalies / Cercanías “ro-dah-LEE-as” / “ther-ca-NEE-as”: Suburban or commuter trains (Catalan / Spanish)

If you’re ready to get a bit more advanced, we have articles on toasting in Catalan, flirting in Catalan, speaking to inanimate objects in Catalan, and, most vitally, Catalan pooping. We also have covered sexy Spanish.

Various screens showing departure and arrival information can be found around the station. “Departures” is “Sortides” or “Salidas”, “Arrivals” is “Arribades” or “Llegadas”. 

Times for different types of trains are shown on different screens, so don’t panic if you can’t see your train on the first screen you look at. First locate the screen for the type of service (long-distance or local, arrivals or departures) you want, and then look for your train time and number.

For commuter / suburban trains, the most comprehensive departure list can be found above the long line of orange-coloured ticket machines next to the exit gates from platforms 7-14.

If the commuter train to Sitges, for example, is due at 14:17 but is delayed by 3 minutes, it will be displayed as “Sitges 14:20” rather than “Sitges 14:17, 3 minute delay”. Similarly, if a train is cancelled, it will just disappear from the screens, the cancellation will not be announced. 

The platform (via) for commuter trains is often not announced until the last minute. You will often see the airport train announced as “Aeroport. Via 11-12”. This means the train will arrive at either platform 11 or platform 12. 

When catching commuter trains, you’ll find it helpful to know which line you are catching (R1, R2, R3, etc) as some screens only show the information by line. 

Commuter / Suburban trains

• Commuter trains leave from platforms 7 to 14. 
• The platform for commuter trains is often not announced until the last minute. You will often see, for example, the airport train announced as “Aeroport. Via 11-12”. This means the train will arrive at either platform 11 or platform 12. Platforms 11 and 12 are next to each other, so you can still head down to wait. You will then need to keep your eyes and ears open for the platform announcement, which may come only moments before the train arrives. 
• It’s a good idea to check with another passenger that you’re getting on the right train, as last-minute alterations are not uncommon. 
• For baggage limits on commuter trains in Catalonia, the rule of thumb is that your baggage should not inconvenience other passengers. Baggage is not inspected, but there is a limit per item of 20 kg (110 lbs) and 70 x 50 x 25 cm (27.6 x 19.7 x 9.8 in). Nobody actually weighs or measures your bags on these local trains, though presumably this could happen if you’re obviously transporting an unusual amount of stuff. More detail is available at the Rodalies de Catalunya baggage policy in section 7.

Medium Distance, Long Distance, and High Speed (Ave, Avant, Avlo, Iryo, Ouigo…) Trains

• The medium and long distance trains, whether Renfe or competitors Iryo and Ouigo, leave from platforms 1-6.
• There is no formal check in, but arrive at least 30 minutes before the scheduled departure time as you need to go through a baggage screening. The lines for baggage screening may be long but they move quickly as they are nowhere near as thorough as the process for airports (you do not need to take out liquids and laptops, nor take off your shoes).
• The train doors close 2 minutes before departure.
• Make sure to check the company’s baggage policy; we’ve got more info on the high speed services’ policies for Ave, Avlo, Ouigo, and Iryo. Ave and Iryo allow you to carry larger pieces without paying extra and are unlikely to measure your luggage carefully in Barcelona Sants unless it’s clearly excessive; Ouigo and Avlo are more likely to enforce to their tight limits.

Metro and Local Bus

Two metro lines pass through Sants Station, Line 3 (green) and Line 5 (blue). The Google Maps app is your best bet for understanding how to get anywhere within Barcelona on public transport, but this map of the metro service is also helpful, as is their metro info. Here is the bus map and info.

The map below shows the bus and metro stops near Sants (in the middle).

Taxis 

Taxis can be found outside both entrances to the station. There is often a long queue on the Plaça dels Països Catalans side, and fewer people waiting on the Plaça de Joan Peiró side (the west side). Note that public transport is excellent in Barcelona (cheap, reliable, frequent and clean, although sometimes crowded) and can be a faster option than waiting for a taxi. 

Bus Station

There is a small, ugly bus station behind Sants Station, with limited services to national and international destinations. This is not the city’s main bus station so many services do not stop here. You are more likely to use the Barcelona Nord Bus Station, for example.

We have a full article on the many available bus companies covering Europe and how to get cheap bus tickets. But in a nutshell, to leave Barcelona by bus cheaply, run searches on Trainline and BusBud. 

Car Hire

There are a number of car hire companies located in or around Sants Station. They are listed here in order of distance from the station. 

Inside the station SABA car park on floor -1 (Plaça dels Països Catalans, 08014 Barcelona):

• SIXT

On top of the station (Plaça dels Països Catalans, 08014 Barcelona): 

• Alamo 
• Enterprise 
• National 

Plaça de Joan Peiró, 08014 Barcelona:

• Europcar 

Carrer de Viriat, 43, 08014 Barcelona:  

• Centauro

Carrer de Viriat, 45, 08014 Barcelona: 

• Hertz
• Thrifty

Carrer del Rector Triadó, 104, 08014 Barcelona: 

• Budget 
• Avis 

Carrer de Dolors Batlle i Sunyer, 17, 08014 Barcelona: 

• OK Mobility 

Indigo Car Park, Carrer de Numància, 33, 08029 Barcelona: 

• Virtuo 

C/ de Numància, 39, 08029 Barcelona: 

• Quadis Rent a Car 

Calle del Rosellón, 9, 08029 Barcelona: 

• Record go 

Parking

• Before planning on driving to Sants Station, it is worth noting that the station falls within the Low Emissions Zone (LEZ). This means that only certain types of vehicles can drive in this area from Monday to Friday, between 07:00 and 20:00. 
• Check here to see if your vehicle can enter the LEZ. 
• Vehicles with foreign number plates must register before entering the LEZ. 

Sants Station Car Park 

• The official Sants Station car park is located underneath the station.
• Open 24 hours a day.
• Spaces for disabled users are available.
• Up-to-date price information can be found here. 
• Maximum height allowed: 2.1 metres.
• VIA T available (entry and exit).
• Reserve a space in advance. 

Other Car Parks Nearby 

A quick Google will show several websites that allow you to reserve nearby parking spaces in advance, some of which include a free transfer from the car park to the station. 

Bike Parking

• There is currently no secure bike parking at the station. 
• There are spaces to leave your bike outside the station. This site’s editor has parked cheap bicycles with expensive U-locks overnight on the streets near the station and never been robbed. An expensive bike, no matter how good the lock, would likely be stolen.
• The shared city bikes in red docks near Sants are part of a system called Smou (formerly Bicing) that is not made available to visitors; you must be a resident with a local address and fiscal number to sign up.

If you are travelling to/from Terminal 2, the airport train is great. It’s spacious, clean, fast and cheap. However, if you are travelling to Terminal 1, or not starting very close to Sants Station, you may find the Aerobus more convenient. We do not recommend travelling from the Sants area to the airport by metro, as it is much slower and involves at least one change of line. 

• The train between the airport and Sants Station runs approximately every half hour and takes around 18 minutes. Here are the timetables. 
• You can travel between the airport and Sants Station:
  • With a standard Zone 1 metro ticket (available at any metro station).
  • With an individual ticket bought:
    • (In Sants Station) at the orange-coloured ticket machines. 
    • (In Sants Station) at windows 1-5 from 06:00 to 22:00 (not recommended due to queues).
    • (At the airport) at any ticket machine.
    • These tickets can only be bought on the day of travel and are valid for two hours from the moment of purchase. 

Travelling from the Airport to Sants Station

• The train station is located in Terminal 2. If you arrive in Terminal 1, catch the free airport shuttle to Terminal 2. This journey takes 14 minutes and is not possible on foot. Then walk along an unglamorous sky bridge to reach the station. Make sure you head into the Rodalies station on the right-hand side, and not the metro, which is located next to it. 
• All trains departing from the airport stop at Sants Station. 

Travelling from Sants Station to the airport 

• The airport is on the R2 Nord line (note that there is also a line called “R2 Sud” that does not go to the airport).
• At the time of writing, the airport train usually leaves from platform 11 or 12. The platform is often not announced until the last minute. You will often see the airport train announced as “Aeroport. Platform 11-12”. This means the train will arrive at either platform 11 or platform 12. Platforms 11 and 12 are next to each other, so you can still head down to wait for the train. You will then need to keep your eyes and ears open for the platform announcement, which may come only moments before the train arrives. The train will have the destination “Aeroport” as a sign on every carriage. However, it’s still a good idea to check with another passenger that you’re getting on the right train, as last-minute alterations are not uncommon. 
• When you arrive at the airport you will walk through the sky bridge into Terminal 2 and then catch the free airport shuttle to Terminal 1 if necessary (14 minutes, not possible on foot). 

Barcelona Sants Station is well adapted for travellers with reduced mobility or other disabilities. 

Accessible Features of Sants Station

• The main concourse, including all entrances, shops and bars is step-free.
• Tactile pathways (limited).
• Lifts to platforms.
• Tactile platform edges.
• Accessible toilets (three locations, priced 1 Euro).
• Parking spaces.
• Induction loops at some ticket offices (indicated).
• Note 1: the ticket machines have braille signs, but are not actually accessible for the visually impaired.
• Note 2: whilst the metro station Sants Estació is accessible, the elevators are not located within the station and you will need to travel a short distance outside the station and across a couple of roads to reach them so make sure you leave a little extra time. You will need the entrance “Pl. Països Catalans / Nùmancia / Ambulatori”. Further information can be found here. 

Assistance Available

Assistance services for travellers with limited mobility include:  

• Wheelchair users can receive help to get around the station and on/off the train.
• People with mobility difficulties who do not have their own wheelchairs can be leant a wheelchair and receive help to get around the station and on/off the train.
• Visually impaired people can be accompanied around the station and receive help to get on/off the train and find their seat.
• People with learning or comprehension difficulties can receive guidance and be helped through the station to their seat on the train.

Requesting Assistance

• Whilst you do not need to pre-book assistance, you need to request help 30 minutes before your train departs. To do this, head to the Acerca office next to the ticket windows. 
• To save time and stress on the day of travel and to ensure your needs will be met (in case of staff shortages, queues, etc), we recommend calling the assistance service as far in advance as possible (+34 91 214 05 05). After booking the service, you will receive an SMS two days before your date of travel, reminding you of your request and of the meeting point. 
• Renfe has released the Assistance Service app. It can be used to request help, but many reviews say that, as with other Renfe apps, it often doesn’t work. 
• When requesting assistance:
  • Communicate whether you will be travelling with a companion or carer, or with a guide dog / assistance dog.
  • If you are using your own wheelchair, you’ll be asked if you wish to be seated in a separate seat. In this case, the wheelchair must be closeable/foldable.
  • You’ll be asked if you require a wheelchair within the station. 
  • You’ll be asked if you need assistance boarding or disembarking the train.
  • If you are hard of hearing, you’ll be asked if you have a hearing aid or other device to aid communication.
• People with visual impairments can sign up for the “Linea 900” service to book / change / cancel a Renfe ticket or request help by calling +34 900 400 555 (free). To sign up for this service, you must fill in a form and attach a document certifying your disability. 
• Requests for assistance for international trips within Europe should be made at least 48 hours in advance, by emailing [email protected] or by calling +34 917 744 040 (06:00 – 00:00).

For more on assistance services for disabilities, see these pages for Renfe, Ouigo, and Iryo.

Booking an Accessible Seat on a Train

• Wheelchair users booking a ticket for a Renfe mid-/long-distance or AVE train will need to select the option “Trains with accessible wheelchair space” if using the Renfe site. 
• You must then request the assistance service in advance (see) to ensure that ramps are put in place for the trains. You must do this even if you do not usually need any help as unfortunately, merely requesting a wheelchair-accessible space is not sufficient. 

Don’t expect northern European or North American types of service. Be prepared for long waits, rudeness, a lack of information, little desire to help and a low level of English.

• Iryo: customer service and ticketing at the Iryo point in the middle of the station
• Renfe (“Atenció al client” / “Atención al cliente”): the customer service center near access point C
• Rodalies (Cercanias) info: to the right of the ENTRANCE gates to the Rodalies trains
• Ouigo does not have a customer service point in Sants

• The left luggage facility (“consigna”) is one floor below the car park. It is run by The Excess Baggage Company. It is open from 05:30 to 23:00. It is a “manned” service, meaning you hand your bags over to a person and they do the rest for you. There are no lockers within the station. If you are using this service, be sure to leave yourself enough time to queue for your bags before your train leaves. Here is information about prices and bag sizes. 
• Lockers can be found nearby. 

Property Lost at the Station or on Renfe, Ouigo or Iryo trains

Items lost at Sants station or on any non-commuter train boarded / disembarked at Sants will be held in the lost property office (“Objectes perduts” / “Objetos Perdidos”). 

• Monday – Friday 09:00 – 13:30 / 16:30 – 19:00. Closed on weekends. 
• Located at the centre of the station.
• Call +34 934 956 020 for lost property, or + 34 912 320 320 for customer service. 
• Items will be kept for “for 15 days and 2 months” (no, I don’t know what this means!)
• You will need to prove that the item was yours (for example, showing your train ticket, providing the PIN number of a mobile phone or describing the contents of a bag).
• You may have to pay related expenses in order to have the item returned.

Property Lost on Trains to Portugal (Lusitania / Surex / Tren Celta)

• Call +351 218 545 212. 

Property Lost on Rodalies / Cercanías (Commuter) Trains

• Property left on these trains is unlikely to be held at Sants. To enquire about lost items, either complete this form (in Catalan, or its translated version) or call +34 900 410 041.

• A small tourist information office is located in the centre of the station, behind the ticket windows for long-distance trains. 
• Monday to Friday 8:30 – 20:30 (Saturdays and Sundays until 20:00).

• A small Mossos d’Esquadra (Catalan police) office is located to the left of the metro entrances.
• Reports can be filed there for theft and other crimes. It is open from Monday to Friday 07:00 – 23:00, Saturday and Sunday 09:00 – 21:00.

• 3 locations within the station (one of which is behind ticket barriers for the high speed trains and is free—you’ve already paid for your ticket at that point—the others cost €1). 
• All locations contain accessible toilets.
• Open from 06:00 to 00:00.

The toilets that you have to pay for are run by 100 Restrooms:

• These are next to the boarding area for the high-speed trains.
• The price of these restrooms (€1) can be redeemed as a discount at certain participating bars/cafés and shops within the station).
• Services include a beauty bar, a water station, a disabled room, a family room, a breastfeeding area, a health-check area, and “motivational mirrors” with hygiene tips.
• These restrooms also contain a shower room (06:30 – 21:30, priced  €5 for 20 minutes). 

• There is a currency exchange office (website in Spanish only) in Sants located next to an entrance on the Plaça dels Països Catalans side.
• It is open Monday to Saturday 07:00 – 22:00 and Sundays 08:00 – 21:00.

ATMs for various banks are located near to both entrances on the Plaça dels Països Catalans side.

• There is a large (by Catalan standards) pharmacy located next to the Plaça dels Països Catalans entrance. 
• Monday to Friday 06:30 – 22:30, Saturday and Sunday 08:00 – 22:30.

• Cigarettes and other smoking-related products, as well as postage stamps, can be purchased at “Tabacs” outside  the Plaça dels Països Catalans entrance (no access from within the station).
• Everyday 06:00 – 21:45.

The only free WiFi available at the station is at (and near to) the McDonald’s café; WiFi is also available for premium Renfe passengers in the Sala Club Lounge.

The high speed trains from Iryo, Ouigo, and Renfe have WiFi but the service is intermittent and slow.

There are a few cafés and bakeries within the station. Offerings are somewhat uninspiring and overpriced, and there aren’t many options for those with dietary restrictions. But at the very least, there is more variety and fresher food than what you find served in the long distance trains themselves; you may want to pick up a sandwich before your trip if you have time. Alcoholic drinks can be purchased in some of the establishments.

If you have slightly more time, there is a Mercadona supermarket close by (closed Sundays and public holidays). 

Or head to Passeig de Sant Antoni where you’ll find a selection of reasonably-priced tapas bars, fast-food outlets and Middle Eastern restaurants (recommended).

While it is not an official meeting point, the easiest place to find people and be found is in front of the McDonald’s. Unlike other cafés or information desks, there is only one McDonald’s in the station. And it is easily found by anyone as there are various signs around the station advertising it and pointing to its location.

The “food” offerings, obviously, should not actually be consumed for health and ecological reasons.

• Open to Renfe passengers with “Premium” or “Luxury tourist train” tickets. 
• Open daily from 05:20 to 21:30 (from 06.30 on Sundays).
• Available 2 hours before train departure.
• Services include WiFi, snacks, drinks, toilets.
• Located opposite the McDonald’s seating area.

There are a few small and unexciting gift, fashion, cosmetics, book and food shops, but keep your expectations low. 

• Head to the nearby Parc de l’Espanya Industrial, a park where there is always a lot going on (Bolivian dance practice, rap battles, multiple sports, sunbathers by the lake, children having the time of their lives on a dragon slide, and more). 
• Watch the skaters in the exceptionally ugly Plaça dels Països Catalans.

There are a lot of hotels close to the station that will suit most budgets listed in Booking.com. Some of the closest are:

• Barceló Sants (4-star, right on top of the station). 
• Cosmo Suite Penthouse (3-star apartments).
• Hotel Transit (1-star).
• Meeting Point Hostels (dormitory accommodation). 

There is nowhere to sleep inside the Barcelona Sants station and it is locked at night.